Mail delivering and collecting apparatus.



T. MIDDLEBROOK. MAIL DELIVERING AND COLLECTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED APR. 16, 1910.

Patented Oct. 4, 1910.

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I.-MIDDLEBROOK.

MAIL DELIVERING AND COLLECTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 1910.

Patented Oct. 4, 1910.

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THOMAS MIDDLEBROOK, OF SAUL'I. STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN.

MAIL DELIVERING AND COLLECTING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MiDDLnBRooK, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Sault Ste. Marie, in the county of Chippewa and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail Delivering and Collecting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a mail delivering and collecting apparatus and has particular reference to a device of that kind adapted to transport rural mail from a postoflice or station to the houses along the route.

One object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus including a track upon which travels a sheave actuated by an endless belt, the said sheave being provided with a hook to engage the belt.

Another object is the provision of a means to effect disengagement of the belt from the hook and at the same time to disengage a carrier or box suspended from the hook.

With these and other objects in view, which will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of the device may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification;-Figure 1 is a contracted front elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a detail. perspective of the track also showing one end portion of one of the supports and the brackets for connecting the track to the support and also one side of the endless belt and the bearing for said belt. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the sheave and also through a portion of the upper end of the hook. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one end of the device showing the station in section and also showing the means for disengaging the hooks from the belt and carriers. Fig. 5 is a sectional end view on the line 55 of Fig. 4-. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the lower end portion of the hook in engagement with the belt and supporting carrier.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16,

Patented @ct. 4t, 1910.

1910. Serial No. 555,947.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

As shown in Fig. 1 the apparatus is suspended above the ground and extends from the post-office or station 5 to the support 6 at the end of the route. Positioned at spaced intervals along the route and between the station 5 and support 6 are a plurality of supports designated by the numeral 7. Fixedly secured on one side and adjacent to the upper end of each of the supports is a bracket which includes a body portion 8 secured by bolts or rivets 9 to one side of the support and terminating at its opposite ends in lateral extensions 10 and 11, said extensions 10 and 11 terminating in oppositely extending arms 12 and 13, the said arms 12 and 13 lying in a vertical plane.

A track is shown to include in its'construction a pair of rails designated by the numerals 14: and 15, the said rails extending from a point within the station 5 to the support adjacent to the end of the route and held in spaced relation and supported by means of the arms 12 and 13 to the opposed surfaces of which they are bolted or otherwise secured as shown at 16. Vith this con struction it will be obvious that the rails lie in the same vertical plane, as clearly shown in the drawings.

Arranged to travel 011 the track are a plurality of grooved sheaves designated by the numeral 17. These members are positioned between the rails and engage with both of the rails as shown in Fig. 5, and by virtue of their grooves displacement will be prevented. The sheaves are centrally provided with shafts 18, the outer ends of which extend in advance of the outer face of the sheave and terminate in depending hooks 19, it being understood that the shafts are loosely fitted in the sheaves and do not rotate with the latter. By virtue of the disposition of the hooks, lying as they do in advance of the brackets, it will be evident that the sheaves will be permitted to travel along the track. As shown in Fig. 1 I have provided four of these sheaves arranged on the track and in spaced relation. I have selected this number merely for purposes of illustration and in the use of the device the number of sheaves employed will correspond to the number of houses on the route, the space between the sheaves corresponding to the distance between the houses.

The boxes for carrying the mail are designated by the numeral 20 and as shown in Fig. 6 are substantially rectangular in contour having a hinged door 21 on their outer sides, and provided on their upper sides with bails 22 to receive the bills of the hooks 19. .Vhen it is understood that each of these boxes will be numbered from 1 upward according to the number of houses on the route, it will be evident that the proper mail can be placed in each box at the station or post-office and when the boxes have been transported along the track to their destination the owners may upon unlocking the doors 21 receive the mail therefrom and deposit such mail matter as they wish within the boxes.

The means for actuating the sheaves to move on the track is shown to comprise an endless belt designated by the numeral 23. This member is trained over pulleys 2st and 25 journaled on shafts carried by brackets 26 and 27, the said brackets 26 and 27 being secured respectively to the support at the end of the route and to a support within the station 5. It will be seen now by reference to the drawings that the belt is positioned slightly in advance of the brackets and on opposite sides of the track, its upper side being supported against sagging by means of sheaves 28 carried by brackets 29 secured to the extensions 11 at the upper ends of the bodies 8 of the brackets, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and The belt is provided throughout its length with a plurality of spaced loops the opposite sides of which are designated by the numerals 30 and 31, the said loops being formed by parting the strands of cable, as shown in Fig. 6. The number of loops in the bail will correspond with the number of houses along the route and it will be evident when the bills of the hooks have been inserted through the loops and the bails 22 placed over the bills and onto one side of the loops and the pulleys 241 and 25 rotated so as to impart an outward movement from the station to the lower side of the belt that the boxes will move outward to their destination in the manner before described.

The belt may be actuated either by an electric or steam motor located in the station, and for purposes of illustration I have shown a steam motor one end of a crank shaft of which is provided with a sprocket wheel 32, and keyed to a shaft 33 upon which the pulley 25 is keyed is a sprocket 3%, connection between the said sprockets being established by means of an endless sprocket chain 35. The motor is designated by the numeral 36 and it will be evident when the said motor is started to turn in one direction that the lower side of the belt will move outwardly, and after the boxes have arrived at their destination and the owners thereof remove the contents, by reversing the mo tor the boxes will move to the station 5, it being understood that a suitable opening, such as is shown at 36 will be formed in the station to permit the boxes, track and belt to pass therethrough.

In order that the boxes may be disengaged from the hooks and the latter from the cable after entering the station, the following construction is employed Rising from the floor of the station is an upright 37 provided at its upper end with a grooved sheave 38, and trained under this sheave is the lower side of the endless belt. The upright 37 is positioned adjacent to the opening 36 in the casing, and rising from the opposite end portion of the casing and adjacent to the motor is an upright 38, the upper side of which lies at a point adjacent to the track and trained over its wheel 39 is the lower side of the endless belt. By virtue of the disposition of the lower side of the belt running under the pulley 38 and over the pulley 39, it will be evident that the portion of the belt between the said pulleys will incline upwardly and toward the track. Now when it is remembered that the hooks are in engagement with the loops at points between the station and end of the route will hold the lower side of the cable substantially parallel with the track, it will be evident when the cable inclines upwardly between the uprights 37 and 38, as shown in Figs. 1 and at that this upward pitch to the lower side of the cable will cause the same to disengage from the bills of the hooks 19 and since the bails 22 are placed upon the hooks after engagement between the said hooks and loops have been established, it will be manifest when the cable pitches upwardly that the bails will be likewise lifted from engagement with the hooks. lVhen such disengagement is eflected the boxes by their own weight will fall onto a table &0, positioned between the uprights 37 and 38.

From the foregoing, it is evident that I have provided a device which is comparatively simple in structure and inexpensive in manufacture, embodying few parts and these so arranged that the danger of derangement will be reduced to a minimum.

I claim 1. In a delivery and collecting apparatus of the class described comprising terminal and intermediate supporting posts, pulleys carried by the said terminal supports, a track having rails in vertical alinement and secured to said supports, a grooved sheave positioned between and engaging said rails, a depending hook carried by said sheave, an endless belt trained over said pulleys and arranged above and below said rails, said belt having a loop to receive said hook, and a carrier suspended from said hook.

2. In a delivery and collecting apparatus of the class described, the combination with a plurality of supports, and a track including vertically alined rails carried by said supports; of a grooved sheave arranged between and in engagement with said rails, a depending hook carried by said sheave, pulleys carried by certain of said supports, an endless belt trained over said pulleys and provided with a loop to receive said hook, a carrier suspended from said hook, and means positioned adjacent to one end of said track adapted to deflect the said belt upwardly and effect the disengagement of said hook and carrier from said loop.

3. In a delivery and collecting apparatus of the class described, the combination with terminal and intermediate supports, and a track including vertically alined rails carried by said intermediate supports; of a grooved sheave arranged between and in engagement with said rails, a depending hook loosely secured to said sheave, pulleys carried by said terminal supports, an endless belt trained over said pulleys and provided with a loop to receive said hook, a carrier provided with a bail to receive said hook and bearing on the sides of said loop, and means positioned adjacent to one end of said track adapted to deflect said belt upwardly and to effect disengagement or the said hook and carrier from said loop.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOS. MIDDLEBROOK. lVitnesses:

J NO. A. CoLwELL, J. OLIVE CoLwELL. 

